IKHben Grass is Oreen 



that is going on about them is because they are 

 only present at the finish, and abed at the start. 

 Wild life is indifferent whether mankind sees it or 

 not ; or takes care that it shall not be seen. The 

 beast and bird have a preference for sunrise over 

 high noon, and for moonlight over sunshine, and 

 take no pains to inform their arch-enemy that such 

 is the fact. I learned the truth by accident, and 

 so mean to be abroad, whensoever I choose, as 

 early as the dawn ; and when I can I will cut the 

 wire fences whenever they cut me. More than 

 one man blames his bull, or some loafer, and I have 

 the added labor of keeping a straight face. 



If too early, the most that you can do is to wait, 

 but too late can never be remedied. I was not too 

 early, though it was not light. The clouds in the 

 east shut off the rosy dawn that I had wished to 

 see, but near objects were not obscured. I have 

 mentioned an oriole who made for himself a nest 

 under many difficulties. His troubles have not 

 yet ceased. The storm beat his home so badly 

 that no mate would share it with him, and now a 

 pair of king-birds have located near by, and are 

 trying to steal the material of the oriole's nest for 

 one of their own. They do not succeed very 

 well. The materials are too closely interwoven, 

 and no amount of tugging at them seems to dam- 

 age the nest as a whole ; and then the oriole ob- 

 jects. In the dim light I saw a battle between the 

 king-birds and the owner of the abandoned nest. 



